EXTRA: Fayemi delivers keynote at ‘rival’ Amosun’s declaration

In what can be described as a rarity, Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti, delivered the keynote address at the presidential declaration of Ibikunle Amosun, former governor of Ogun state.

Amosun and Fayemi are presidential hopefuls on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The former Ogun state governor was also in attendance when Fayemi declared his intention to run for president on Wednesday in Abuja.

Both politicians are among the growing number of presidential hopefuls seeking to clinch the ticket of the APC.

While delivering the goodwill message at Amosun’s event, Fayemi said “some people are surprised that I am here and I don’t see any reason why you should be surprised at all”.

“Senator Ibikunle Amosun and I go back a long way and he has always been there for me,” he added.

“He was at my declaration yesterday as many of you may be aware, and even though I’m supposed to be in Ebonyi state now on a trip with Mr President on the invitation of our governor there, but I had to beg to be allowed to be present here because I think this is important for our country.

“What we are all about at least in the APC is the improvement of the human condition. It’s to transform the lives of our people, ordinary Nigerians and this is not an entitlement. None of us should have any sense of entitlement.

“We should depend on the gratitude and the grace of the ordinary members of this party and the grace of God Almighty. That is what I know Senator Amosun to be as a human being, as a believer in God, as a compassionate Nigerian and as a forthright person. If you know him, you’ll know that what you see is what you get.

“He is not a manipulative person. He’s not a disingenuous person. He’s straightforward, he’s frank sometimes to a fault.”

Fayemi added that Amosun is running for president out of conviction and that he “has demonstrated this in previous assignments that he has held”.